Topic Contents

Pityriasis Rosea

National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Pityriasis Rosea is not the name you expected.

Disorder Subdivisions

None

General Discussion

Pityriasis rosea is a relatively mild skin disorder characterized by a salmon or pink colored, scaly rash. Pityriasis rosea most often affects children and young adults. In many individuals with pityriasis rosea, the characteristic rash develops after vague, nonspecific symptoms that resemble those associated with an upper respiratory infection. The rash is usually located on the back, chest and stomach and resolves on its own within one to three months. Certain treatments may reduce the duration of the rash. Researchers believe that pityriasis rosea is caused by an infectious pathogen, but they have been unable to isolate and identify such a pathogen.

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be downloaded free from the NORD website for registered users. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational therapies (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, go to www.rarediseases.org and click on Rare Disease Database under "Rare Disease Information".

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.

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